Minister Alausa Spotlights Nigeria’s Education Digital Transformation at 2026 DHIS2 Conference in Oslo
Positions DNEMIS as Africa’s Benchmark for Education Data Implementation
The Federal Government has showcased Nigeria’s Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) on the global stage at the 2026 DHIS2 Annual Conference in Oslo, Norway, with the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, presenting Nigeria’s education digital transformation journey and positioning the country as a leading reference point for education data implementation across Africa.
Nigeria’s participation at the conference followed an invitation extended through UNICEF and the University of Oslo, reflecting growing international recognition of the country’s progress in deploying technology and data-driven solutions to strengthen education planning, governance, monitoring and service delivery.
Speaking during the conference, the Minister highlighted Nigeria’s deliberate efforts to reposition the education sector through digital innovation and evidence-based reforms under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), with a focus on improving efficiency, accountability and measurable outcomes across all levels of education.
A major highlight of the engagement was the global unveiling and co-launch of the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), a landmark national platform developed to modernise education data collection, management and reporting while enabling more effective planning and decision-making across the sector. The Minister emphasised that DNEMIS is built on the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) platform, a globally recognised and widely adopted open-source data system originally developed for strengthening health information systems, where it currently supports over 31 million users across countries and institutions worldwide. Building on its proven success in transforming health data ecosystems, DHIS2 has now been extended into the education sector, where it is rapidly scaling to support national education data systems globally. Within this expanding education deployment, Nigeria is currently leading the implementation, hosting the highest number of education users on the DHIS2 platform and positioning itself at the forefront of evidence-driven digital transformation in the education sector across Africa.
The Minister stated that Nigeria’s successful implementation of DNEMIS has increasingly attracted continental attention, with African countries looking to Nigeria’s experience as a practical pathway for strengthening education data systems and accelerating sector-wide digital transformation.
According to the Minister, Nigeria has established a practical, scalable and replicable framework for how education data systems can be designed, deployed and institutionalised across Africa, setting a new benchmark for implementation and demonstrating the central role of reliable and near real-time data in improving resource allocation, strengthening interventions and expanding access, equity and learning outcomes.
Implemented through collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF , HISP , the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), and the University of Oslo, DNEMIS is powered on the DHIS2 platform, a global framework which currently powers healthcare, education and climate health. The education platform currently holds 45 million records globally of which Nigeria accounts for 32 million records. The system designed to provide near real-time education data that supports policy formulation, performance monitoring and improved service delivery across the education sector.
The platform represents a significant shift from fragmented and largely manual processes to an integrated digital ecosystem capable of generating timely, credible and actionable education intelligence for national development.
The DHIS2 Annual Conference convened ministers, policymakers, development partners, researchers and technology leaders from more than 100 countries to exchange ideas and explore innovative approaches to digital transformation in education, health and other strategic sectors.
Beyond the conference sessions, Nigeria’s participation created opportunities to deepen international partnerships and strengthen collaboration in education innovation, institutional capacity development, research and knowledge exchange while projecting Nigeria’s growing role as a continental leader in education sector reform.
The Honourable Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the momentum of ongoing education reforms and ensuring that digital innovation translates into measurable improvements for Nigerian learners. He stressed that through DNEMIS and broader sector renewal initiatives, Nigeria will continue to lead by example in advancing transparency, strengthening evidence-based decision-making and shaping a new continental standard for building inclusive, responsive and future-ready education systems across Africa.
Adedeji Tolulope
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